Note on the use of the vacuum stability test in the study of initiation reactivity of attractive cyclic nitramines in Formex P1 matrix

The zero-order reaction rates (specific rate constants) of isothermal decomposition at 120 °C of plastic bonded explosives (PBXs) were measured by means of the Czech vacuum stability test, STABIL. The PBXs are based on 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane (RDX), 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane (HMX), cis-1,3,4,6-tetranitro-octahydroimidazo-4,5-d]imidazole (BCHMX), and ε 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (ε-HNIW, ε-CL-20) with 13 wt% of the Formex P1 type matrix, i.e., a matrix of the explosive with pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) bound by 13 wt% of a mixture of 25 wt% of styrene–butadiene rubber and 75 wt% of an oily material. Dependencies were found between the specific rate constants mentioned and the detonation velocities of PBXs, and consequently between these constants and the impact and electric spark sensitivities of pure explosive fillers, i.e., RDX, HMX, HNIW, BCHMX, and PETN. It is stated that the higher impact or electric spark sensitivity of their pure explosive fillers corresponds to the higher thermal reactivity of the given PBXs.